MARGAO: Farmers from Curtorim have cried foul over the government’s move to scrap the subsidy for harvesters.
Even as the beleaguered farmers pointed out that any decision to scrap the subsidy on harvesters will spell doom for agriculture, Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco has warned the government not to take any hasty decision, threatening to unite the farmers from across the State against any such ill conceived decision.
A farmer Alfred Barretto said that the high cost of manpower has turned away many a farmer from pursuing agriculture. He feared that any decision to scrap the subsidy on harvesters will hit agricultural production. “We are shocked to know that the government has plans to withdraw subsidy for the harvesters. This will adversely affect agriculture in the State. In Curtorim, 95 per cent of the fields are being cultivated because of the government subsidy,” he said.
Alfred also lamented over the huge delay in disbursing subsides to the farmers, affecting the operators. “Unlike the Congress government, the present dispensation takes long time to disburse the subsidies”, he said.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco urged the BJP government to reconsider the decision to scrap the subsidy on harvesters. He said the government can employ people to check misuse of subsidy, if any, but appealed to the government not to scrap the subsidy. “If the government has any doubts over the misuse of subsidies, they can employ to verify the time and working of the harvesters”, he said.
He also opposed the government move to scrap the subsidy on harvesters and hike the support price for paddy. “I would like to ask the government how it will accommodate the large number of small farmers who do not sell the produce in the market. For such farmers, the support price will mean nothing”, Reginaldo said, while disclosing plans to unite farmers from across Goa to oppose the government decision to scrap subsidies.
